This invention relates generally to a temperature probe assembly and more particularly to a temperature probe assembly for monitoring the temperature of food being prepared in microwave ovens.
Many conventional microwave ovens are equipped with temperature probes for monitoring food being prepared. Typically, the probe assemblies include a thermistor probe connected by a coaxial cable to an oven control that initiates various operations such as reducing heating power, terminating a heating cycle, terminating a microwave heating cycle and initiating a radiant heating cycle, etc. One of the disadvantages of such probe assemblies is that the coaxial cables employed can become inadvertently lodged between an oven door and a door frame thereby preventing a tight closure therebetween. Obviously, such an occurrence can lead to hazardous leakage of microwave energy.
A technique derived for eliminating the above problem entails the molding of plastic spheres to a coaxial cable at spaced apart locations between a probe and an oven control. The spacing between the spheres is such so as to prevent a discrete length of cable from becoming lodged between the door and door frame. In the event that a sphere becomes so lodged, the diameter of the sphere is sufficiently large to prevent actuation of the oven doors latch mechanism. Consequently, microwave leakage cannot occur around the edge of a door held partially open by the coaxial cable of the probe. Although substantially alleviating the leakage problem, prior molded spheres exhibited a tendency to move along the surface of the coaxial cable when subjected to substantial forces. As a result of such movement, a pair of spheres can become sufficiently separated to permit an intermediate length of coaxial cable to become lodged between a door and a door frame and thereby give rise to the possibility of microwave leakage.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved temperature control probe assembly that eliminates the possibility of microwave oven operation with a portion of the probe assembly lodged between an oven door and door frame.